I've never encountered a topic that encompasses such optimism and opportunity as AI, whilst simultaneously posing an existential threat to humanity.

I left a panel discussion event this morning hosted by Hotwire PR in a juxtaposed state of emotion; on the one hand trying to come to terms with how artificial intelligence can enhance my immediate professional world, and on the other (lightheartedly) questioning the obsolete relevance of returning to my day job as, of course, the robots are coming!

What I did take away and find overwhelmingly interesting from the event is, despite the phenomenal capacity for machines to learn, assimilate lakes of information, and self-compute, there still needs to be the human element in order to first ask the question.

What this means for the world of communications and B2B marketing is we need to be more adept when it comes to understanding the questions our contacts are asking and refine the messaging we deliver in response. There will be growing pressure for businesses to become truly customer-centric as those that can lead the AI charge will be able to more efficiently meet the on-demand needs of their consumers.

There is however (for now), in the midst of growing delegation of tasks to machines, still the requirement for the human-to-human touch. Rather than the replacement of brand marketers and comms specialists, I think it will be the combination of man and machine that will drive growth and engagement with a closer alignment of consumer expectations to the content and information B2B brands deliver.

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[W]e’re bringing together some of the smartest minds that are leading the charge in 2017 to give you a complete perspective on how AI is changing and what you need to consider about this disruptive technology.
Speakers:
Panellist – Dean Withey, Founder and CEO, Ubisend
Panellist – Sam Madden, Commercial Director UK & Ireland, Wiraya
Panellist – Charlie Muirhead, Founder and CEO, CognitionX
Panellist – Roger Bickerstaff, Partner and Head of Digital Business Campaign, Bird & Bird
Chair – Helen Dunne, Editor, CorpComms Magazine